Five observations from the M3UA conference

Europe’s M3 user group was abuzz with nearly 200 individuals including software users, partners, and Infor team members talking about industry trends, business goals, and software enhancements at the bi-annual gathering in the UK. Avaap was a proud platinum sponsor of the event and enjoyed the opportunity to talk about what’s new with Infor CloudSuite M3, Birst, PLM, and other technologies as well as how fashion, manufacturing and distribution, and equipment rental companies, among others are benefiting from modernization.

Interest is up! One thing was obvious to anyone who has participated in the M3 user group community in the past: its growing! This was the best attended user group in recent history with attendees from all over Europe. It was great to see such a high level of engagement among the user community and heightened interest in how technology can be leveraged for competitive advantage. The upgrade opportunity and Infor’s acquisition of Birst certainly helped in driving attendance and piquing interest.

Upgrades are top of mind. We had a lot of activity at the Avaap booth around all things Infor but upgrading M3 software and taking advantage of modern solutions were a key focus for many attendees. Our staff spent time talking about the newest version, Infor CloudSuite 13.4, and how new features, including more than 1,400 improvements, are helping to increase user efficiency and productivity.

Greater cloud readiness. Cloud adoption of Infor software is on the rise with gains nearing 10 percent on the previous year. The market is ready for cloud and Infor has done a great job understanding the industry-specific needs of its customers and supporting their digital transformation journeys.

Birst stole the show. There was great interest in Birst as obvious by the number of attendees who joined the session to learn about intelligent ERP and advanced analytics. Attendees were enthused at the possibility of combining data from Infor CloudSuite with various systems and ability to make more informed decisions using data as well as ability to produce reports in seconds. Avaap is Birst certified, has an established BI practice, and ready capability in this area.

Partners are getting priority. One of the biggest announcements that caught our attention (natch) is Infor’s “Partner First” strategy delivered by Cormack Watters, Infor Europe’s EVP and general manager. He shared details around the strategy and how Infor is concentrating on its core focus, delivering beautiful software users love, while allowing systems integrators to focus on their strength: flawlessly implementing software and helping businesses achieve stronger return on their technology investments.

We’re back in our Barcelona headquarters after an exciting week and looking forward to continuing the conversations from the M3UA meeting. What did you take away from the event? Drop us a line and let us know or get in touch to start your next project!

Leonardo Castaldi, Avaap Europe Managing Director